As a maritime professional, of course you already knew that the maritime business too, faces several serious environmental issues. Exhausts contributing to the greenhouse effect are only part of the issues….
Maritime environmental harm can be caused by, amongst others:
"font-size: 9pt; font-family: symbol; mso-ansi-language: en-us; mso-list: ignore; mso-fareast-font-family: symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: symbol">·"font: 7pt 'times new roman'"> ballast water
"font-size: 9pt; font-family: symbol; mso-ansi-language: en-us; mso-list: ignore; mso-fareast-font-family: symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: symbol">·"font: 7pt 'times new roman'"> living on board’ and cargo waste
"font-size: 9pt; font-family: symbol; mso-ansi-language: en-us; mso-list: ignore; mso-fareast-font-family: symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: symbol">·"font: 7pt 'times new roman'"> oil pollution
"font-size: 9pt; font-family: symbol; mso-ansi-language: en-us; mso-list: ignore; mso-fareast-font-family: symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: symbol">·"font: 7pt 'times new roman'"> ship materials - chemical releases from coatings, asbestos used on board, etc.
"font-size: 9pt; font-family: symbol; mso-ansi-language: en-us; mso-list: ignore; mso-fareast-font-family: symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: symbol">·"font: 7pt 'times new roman'"> water intake"mso-spacerun: yes"> - e.g. for cooling engines
"font-size: 9pt; font-family: symbol; mso-ansi-language: en-us; mso-list: ignore; mso-fareast-font-family: symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: symbol">·"font: 7pt 'times new roman'"> exhaust gases
Can we fix it? Can we as the maritime sector make ships and shipping cleaner? Forced by stricter regulations we will have to ‘bend the trend’, at least….
In the next few editions of ‘Sea Changes’ we will have a look at several initiatives to make shipping cleaner. Apart from regulations, innovation is what counts here, both in terms of technical development as well as in terms of being able to market clean solutions to endusers. Innovation is also [the spreading of] a mindset amongst producers and consumers, then, and an opportunity for inventive companies to be competitive and make money.
Innovations in: ballast water solutions - "font-size: 9pt">Newcastle University PA
Many an invasive species has traveled on board ships and found new habitats worldwide over the last decades. Take the originally Asian ‘mitten crab’ [pictured] - it first arrived in Europe nearly a century ago. Since then, it has invaded numerous waterways and damaged riverbanks, and it may also become a very serious threat to local habitats across Western and North Western Europe and the US West Coast.
Or take the zebra mussel. This Black Sea native species has spread across Western and Northern Europe, including Ireland and the Baltic Sea area, and the eastern half of North America. The zebra mussel threatens native species and the ecosystem too, causes severe fouling problems on infrastructure, vessels and equipment (e.g. blocking water intake pipes, sluices and irrigation ditches).
And the most dramatic example: cholera. In the 1990s a cholera epidemic swept across South-America, starting with a simultaneous outbreak in three Peruvian ports in 1991, going on to affect over a million people across the Latin-American continent and killing over ten thousand people by 1994. The specific cholera strain involved had previously only been found in Bangladesh….
"mso-ansi-font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: arial; mso-hansi-font-family: arial">IMO estimates the global transfer of ballast water at 10 billion tonnes per year – each day approximately 3,000 animals and plants are transported across the globe in ballast water.
Possible solutions to minimize the risk of transferring harmful aquatic organisms with ballast water include:
"font-size: 9pt; font-family: symbol; mso-ansi-language: en-us; mso-list: ignore; mso-fareast-font-family: symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: symbol">·"font: 7pt 'times new roman'"> Ballast water exchange in deep sea – as far as possible from shore (200 n miles en 200m deep)
"font-size: 9pt; font-family: symbol; mso-ansi-language: en-us; mso-list: ignore; mso-fareast-font-family: symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: symbol">·"font: 7pt 'times new roman'"> Non-release of ballast water
"font-size: 9pt; font-family: symbol; mso-ansi-language: en-us; mso-list: ignore; mso-fareast-font-family: symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: symbol">·"font: 7pt 'times new roman'"> Taking on only ‘clean’ ballast water
"font-size: 9pt; font-family: symbol; mso-ansi-language: en-us; mso-list: ignore; mso-fareast-font-family: symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: symbol">·"font: 7pt 'times new roman'"> Treating the ballast water ‘en route’, such as with heating, chlorine or UV radiation
"font-size: 9pt; font-family: symbol; mso-ansi-language: en-us; mso-list: ignore; mso-fareast-font-family: symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: symbol">·"font: 7pt 'times new roman'"> Depositing the ballast water in special reception tanks at the port
According to the IMO, “reballasting at sea currently provides the best-available measure to reduce the risk of transfer of harmful aquatic organisms, but is subject to serious ship-safety limits. Even when it can be fully implemented, this technique is less than 100% effective in removing organisms from ballast water. Some parties even suggest that reballasting at sea may itself contribute to the wider dispersal of harmful species, and that island states located ‘down-stream’ of mid-ocean reballasting areas may be at particular risk from this practice.”
And IMO continues to remark: “It is therefore extremely important that alternative, effective ballast water management and/or treatment methods are developed as soon as possible, to replace reballasting at sea. Significant research and development (R&D) efforts are underway by a number of scientific and engineering research establishments around the world, aimed at developing a more complete solution to this problem.”
Many of the possible solutions listed above are either very costly, pose difficult technical issues or, using chemicals, negatively affect the environment. The ideal solution to the ballast water problem would of course be the elimination of ballast water altogether. Teams at American and European universities have been studying a ballast free ship design over the last few years, but no final solution to the technical challenges involved has been found yet. In The Netherlands, the ‘ballastless ship’ project coordinated by the Dutch Maritime Network (Nederland Maritiem Land, "font-family: arial; mso-ansi-font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: arial; mso-hansi-font-family: arial">NML) has just completed phase 2, which entailed the re-design of the ship’s hull form to attain lower water resistance levels. The next phase will be to find a solution for the still larger than average resistance caused by the larger ‘wet surface’ of the proposed design [1st design pictured here]. The team hopes to able to reach a breakthrough with the use of air-lubrication.
The most viable solutions currently available, certainly with regards to retrofits that will be required for existing vessels, are ballast water management systems such as the ones being developed by, amongst others Alfa Laval, OceanSaver, Hamann AG and Dutch company "font-family: arial; mso-ansi-font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: arial; mso-hansi-font-family: arial">Greenship. All these firms have conducted (land and/or seabased) tests over the last few years and need to run final tests during the next few months.
Alfa Laval has over the last few years extensively tested their ballast water management solution in cooperation with shipping line "font-family: arial; mso-ansi-font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: arial; mso-hansi-font-family: arial">Wallenius Marine. At "font-family: arial; mso-ansi-font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: arial; mso-hansi-font-family: arial">Alfalaval.com/pureballast ballast water and the Alfa Laval Pureballast system are treated in depth. In September 2006 the company issued a press release, ‘"font-family: arial; mso-ansi-font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: arial; mso-hansi-font-family: arial">Alfa Laval first with ballast water treatment system’, announcing the launch of their chemical-free PureBallast system for December 2006. Peter Carlberg, General Manager of Alfa Laval Marine and Diesel, at that time declared that “[Alfa Laval’s] expertise is important when dealing with a new application like ballast water treatment. As with all new technologies,” he added, “there will be a lot of challenges over the next ten years or so. Both working and non-working solutions are going to reach the market, so ship owners need to know that the solution they purchase rests on a solid foundation of knowledge and support.” Alfa Laval’s own system tests have been overseen by the Norwegian Institute for Water Research ("font-family: arial; mso-ansi-font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: arial; mso-hansi-font-family: arial">NIVA) and "font-family: arial; mso-ansi-font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: arial; mso-hansi-font-family: arial">DNV, type approval for the system is a pending matter.
Greenship has been "font-family: arial; mso-ansi-font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: arial; mso-hansi-font-family: arial">testing their system under the supervision of LR and also await type approval. Spokesman at Greenship, Mr. Johann van der Geest, says that he expects several companies, including of course Greenship themselves, to obtain approval later this year. The Greenship solution, combining a sediment removal system (‘Sedimentor’) for removing sediment and biota during intake (80% >10 micron, ?P=2) with an electrolyse system for extermination of bacteria and organisms, should later this year also be complemented with a very quick and effective sampling and detection method, which would give Greenship a clear competitive edge.
With a stand at the "font-family: arial; mso-ansi-font-size: 9.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: arial; mso-hansi-font-family: arial">Holland Marine Equipment Pavillion, Alfa Laval will be present at this year’s Europort Maritime taking place from Tuesday 6 through Friday 9 November 2007. Please come and see for yourself how these and other companies can help us fix it!
Click here for the table "Ballast water Implementation Schedule"
As a maritime professional, of course you already knew that the maritime business too, faces several serious environmental issues. Exhausts contributing to the greenhouse effect are only part of the issues….
Maritime environmental harm can be caused by, amongst others:
· ballast water
· living on board’ and cargo waste
· oil pollution
· ship materials - chemical releases from coatings, asbestos used on board, etc.
· water intake - e.g. for cooling engines
· exhaust gases
Can we fix it? Can we as the maritime sector make ships and shipping cleaner? Forced by stricter regulations we will have to ‘bend the trend’, at least….
In the next few editions of ‘Sea Changes’ we will have a look at several initiatives to make shipping cleaner. Apart from regulations, innovation is what counts here, both in terms of technical development as well as in terms of being able to market clean solutions to endusers. Innovation is also [the spreading of] a mindset amongst producers and consumers, then, and an opportunity for inventive companies to be competitive and make money.
Innovations in: ballast water solutions - Newcastle University PA
Many an invasive species has traveled on board ships and found new habitats worldwide over the last decades. Take the originally Asian ‘mitten crab’ [pictured] - it first arrived in Europe nearly a century ago. Since then, it has invaded numerous waterways and damaged riverbanks, and it may also become a very serious threat to local habitats across Western and North Western Europe and the US West Coast.
Or take the zebra mussel. This Black Sea native species has spread across Western and Northern Europe, including Ireland and the Baltic Sea area, and the eastern half of North America. The zebra mussel threatens native species and the ecosystem too, causes severe fouling problems on infrastructure, vessels and equipment (e.g. blocking water intake pipes, sluices and irrigation ditches).
And the most dramatic example: cholera. In the 1990s a cholera epidemic swept across South-America, starting with a simultaneous outbreak in three Peruvian ports in 1991, going on to affect over a million people across the Latin-American continent and killing over ten thousand people by 1994. The specific cholera strain involved had previously only been found in Bangladesh….
IMO estimates the global transfer of ballast water at 10 billion tonnes per year – each day approximately 3,000 animals and plants are transported across the globe in ballast water.
Possible solutions to minimize the risk of transferring harmful aquatic organisms with ballast water include:
· Ballast water exchange in deep sea – as far as possible from shore (200 n miles en 200m deep)
· Non-release of ballast water
· Taking on only ‘clean’ ballast water
· Treating the ballast water ‘en route’, such as with heating, chlorine or UV radiation
· Depositing the ballast water in special reception tanks at the port
According to the IMO, “reballasting at sea currently provides the best-available measure to reduce the risk of transfer of harmful aquatic organisms, but is subject to serious ship-safety limits. Even when it can be fully implemented, this technique is less than 100% effective in removing organisms from ballast water. Some parties even suggest that reballasting at sea may itself contribute to the wider dispersal of harmful species, and that island states located ‘down-stream’ of mid-ocean reballasting areas may be at particular risk from this practice.”
And IMO continues to remark: “It is therefore extremely important that alternative, effective ballast water management and/or treatment methods are developed as soon as possible, to replace reballasting at sea. Significant research and development (R&D) efforts are underway by a number of scientific and engineering research establishments around the world, aimed at developing a more complete solution to this problem.”
Many of the possible solutions listed above are either very costly, pose difficult technical issues or, using chemicals, negatively affect the environment. The ideal solution to the ballast water problem would of course be the elimination of ballast water altogether. Teams at American and European universities have been studying a ballast free ship design over the last few years, but no final solution to the technical challenges involved has been found yet. In The Netherlands, the ‘ballastless ship’ project coordinated by the Dutch Maritime Network (Nederland Maritiem Land, NML) has just completed phase 2, which entailed the re-design of the ship’s hull form to attain lower water resistance levels. The next phase will be to find a solution for the still larger than average resistance caused by the larger ‘wet surface’ of the proposed design [1st design pictured here]. The team hopes to able to reach a breakthrough with the use of air-lubrication.
The most viable solutions currently available, certainly with regards to retrofits that will be required for existing vessels, are ballast water management systems such as the ones being developed by, amongst others Alfa Laval, OceanSaver, Hamann AG and Dutch company Greenship. All these firms have conducted (land and/or seabased) tests over the last few years and need to run final tests during the next few months.
Alfa Laval has over the last few years extensively tested their ballast water management solution in cooperation with shipping line Wallenius Marine. At Alfalaval.com/pureballast ballast water and the Alfa Laval Pureballast system are treated in depth. In September 2006 the company issued a press release, ‘Alfa Laval first with ballast water treatment system’, announcing the launch of their chemical-free PureBallast system for December 2006. Peter Carlberg, General Manager of Alfa Laval Marine and Diesel, at that time declared that “[Alfa Laval’s] expertise is important when dealing with a new application like ballast water treatment. As with all new technologies,” he added, “there will be a lot of challenges over the next ten years or so. Both working and non-working solutions are going to reach the market, so ship owners need to know that the solution they purchase rests on a solid foundation of knowledge and support.” Alfa Laval’s own system tests have been overseen by the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA) and DNV, type approval for the system is a pending matter.
Greenship has been testing their system under the supervision of LR and also await type approval. Spokesman at Greenship, Mr. Johann van der Geest, says that he expects several companies, including of course Greenship themselves, to obtain approval later this year. The Greenship solution, combining a sediment removal system (‘Sedimentor’) for removing sediment and biota during intake (80% >10 micron, ?P=2) with an electrolyse system for extermination of bacteria and organisms, should later this year also be complemented with a very quick and effective sampling and detection method, which would give Greenship a clear competitive edge.
With a stand at the Holland Marine Equipment Pavillion, Alfa Laval will be present at this year’s Europort Maritime taking place from Tuesday 6 through Friday 9 November 2007. Please come and see for yourself how these and other companies can help us fix it!
Click here for the table "Ballast water Implementation Schedule"
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